Effective Date: October 15, 2026 Version: 1.0 Applies to: All Groomers who provide grooming Services through the Platform, and all Commission Plans under which a Groomer is paid.
Article 1: Introduction and Scope
1.1 This document governs how a Groomer is paid for Services performed through the Platform: the pay types the Company maintains, the Commission Plans under which commission is calculated, the computation of a Commission Entry, the adjustments that follow a refund or a re-performance, and the timing and review of payment. The Groomer Terms of Service state the master terms of the Groomer's engagement; this document states the compensation terms under that engagement.
1.2 A Groomer shall be able to determine from this document and the Groomer's commission report how every amount paid to the Groomer was computed. A Commission Entry that cannot be reproduced from its recorded inputs is not a completed entry, and the Company shall correct it under Article 8.
1.3 If a provision of this document conflicts with the Terms of Use, this document controls for the subject it governs. If a provision of this document conflicts with the terms of a program in which the Groomer participates, the program terms control for that program. Policies and help pages explain this document; they do not amend it, and in any conflict this document prevails.
Article 2: Definitions
2.1 The definitions in the Groomer Terms of Service are incorporated into this document by reference and apply to this document. This article defines only the additional terms used in this document, in alphabetical order.
2.2 Appointment: a booking for a grooming Service through the Platform, confirmed in accordance with the Appointment Operations Policy.
2.3 Basis Amount: the amount to which a Commission Plan rate is applied for a service line, computed under Article 5.
2.4 Commission Entry: the record of a single payable event under a Commission Plan, stating the Groomer, the Commission Plan, the Appointment, the Service, the date earned, the Basis Amount, the rate applied, the commission amount, the entry type, and the entry standing.
2.5 Commission Plan: the plan record assigned to a Groomer that states the terms on which commission is calculated and paid, as described in Article 4.
2.6 Customer: a person who books or receives grooming Services through the Platform for an animal in the person's care.
2.7 Groomer: a person the Company has accepted to provide grooming Services through the Platform, whether engaged as an employee or as an independent contractor, as the engagement states.
2.8 Payroll Run: a scheduled payment cycle in which approved Commission Entries and other pay amounts are paid to Groomers.
Article 3: Pay Types and Engagement Standing
3.1 Each Groomer's pay type is recorded on the Groomer's staff record and is one of the following: (a) hourly, at the recorded hourly rate; (b) salary, at the recorded amount and period; (c) commission, at the rate stated in the Groomer's Commission Plan; or (d) hourly plus commission, at the recorded hourly rate and the rate stated in the Groomer's Commission Plan.
3.2 The pay type is set at onboarding under the Groomer Onboarding and Qualification and shall be changed only by written agreement between the Company and the Groomer. A change in pay type takes effect on the date the written agreement states and shall not apply retroactively to work already performed.
3.3 A Groomer engaged as an independent contractor is paid in accordance with the contractor's engagement terms and this document. The Company shall not withhold taxes from amounts paid to an independent contractor, and the Company shall issue the information returns applicable law requires for amounts paid to the contractor.
3.4 The Company shall maintain the staff record, the Commission Plan assignment, and the Commission Entries as the records of compensation under this document, and shall make the commission report available to the Groomer for each period in which the Groomer has Commission Entries.
Article 4: Commission Plans
4.1 A Commission Plan is a defined plan record. Each Commission Plan states: (a) the plan name; (b) the calculation basis, which is Service revenue computed under Article 5; (c) the rate, stated as a percentage or as a flat amount; (d) whether tips processed through the Platform pass through the plan, and at what rate; (e) whether add-on Services count in the Basis Amount; (f) whether retail product sales count in the Basis Amount and, if so, the retail rate; (g) whether refunded Service amounts generate reversing entries; (h) whether product cost is deducted from the Basis Amount; (i) any minimum guarantee and the period to which the guarantee applies; (j) the payout frequency; and (k) the effective dates of the plan and whether the plan is active.
4.2 Each Groomer shall be assigned exactly one active Commission Plan at a time. A commission is payable to a Groomer only at the rate stated in the Groomer's assigned Commission Plan. No commission is payable at a rate that the assigned Commission Plan does not state.
4.3 A change of Commission Plan takes effect on the new plan's effective date and shall not apply retroactively. A Groomer who changes plans within a payout period has two plan segments for that period, and each segment shall be computed under its own plan.
4.4 Where a Commission Plan provides for performance tiers or other rate rules, the rule shall be stated in the plan before the period in which it applies. Tier attainment is measured on the date the commission is earned, within the payout period. The Company shall not apply a tier or rule that the plan does not state, and shall not change a tier or rule for a period that has closed.
Article 5: Computation of a Commission Entry
5.1 Every payable event under a Commission Plan generates a Commission Entry. The Company shall record in each Commission Entry the inputs from which the entry was computed, including the rate, the components of the Basis Amount, and any tier applied, so that the entry can be reproduced from the record.
5.2 The Basis Amount for a service line is the service-line total, less discounts applied to that line, plus the Groomer's share of any surcharge that the Service Pricing and Surcharge Policy marks as commissionable. Sales tax is never included in the Basis Amount, and a Groomer does not earn commission on sales tax.
5.3 A forfeited deposit is excluded from the Basis Amount unless the Commission Plan expressly includes forfeited deposits.
5.4 Tips processed through the Platform are paid to the Groomer as the Commission Plan states. Add-on Services and retail product sales count in the Basis Amount only as the Commission Plan states, and retail product sales are calculated at the plan's retail rate where the plan states one.
5.5 A Groomer who disputes a Commission Entry is entitled to the recorded inputs for that entry, and not only to the entry total. A dispute is raised and resolved under Article 8.
Article 6: Adjustments: Refunds, Re-performance, and No-Shows
6.1 Where a Service is refunded and the Commission Plan provides for refund deductions, the Company shall record a reversing Commission Entry that refers to the original entry, so that the commission follows the amount actually retained for the Service.
6.2 Where a Service was not provided, or where a Service is refunded because the Groomer failed to meet the Service Standards Policy, the commission paid or payable on the refunded amount shall be charged back to the Groomer by reversing entry or by setoff against amounts otherwise payable, whether or not the Commission Plan states a general refund-deduction rule. The Company shall state the chargeback and its ground in the Groomer's commission report.
6.3 A re-performance of a Service under the Platform Service Guarantee does not generate a second commission for the same Service. The commission on the original Service stands, subject to clause 6.2, and the re-performance is the remedy for the original Service and not new work.
6.4 A no-show Appointment is compensated only as the Commission Plan states. Where the plan provides booked-time compensation for a no-show, that compensation is funded from the forfeited deposit for the Appointment. Where the plan is silent on no-shows, no-show time is unpaid.
Article 7: Fees and Other Charges
7.1 A fee or other charge is payable by the Groomer under this document only if the charge is stated in the Groomer's Commission Plan or in a document that governs that charge and is identified in the Groomer's engagement. No other charge of any kind is payable, and the Company shall not impose a charge that the Commission Plan and the governing document do not state.
7.2 Service prices and surcharges from which a Basis Amount is computed are governed by the Service Pricing and Surcharge Policy. Deposits and prepayment, including forfeiture, are governed by the Deposit and Prepayment Policy.
Article 8: Review, Disputes, and Payment Timing
8.1 Commission Entries are paid in the Payroll Run that corresponds to the payout frequency stated in the Commission Plan. Only approved Commission Entries are paid. An unapproved entry shall not be paid until it is approved.
8.2 Before the cutoff for a Payroll Run, the Groomer shall review the Groomer's Commission Entries in the commission report and shall raise any dispute before that cutoff. The Company shall correct a disputed entry before the cutoff where the dispute is established from the recorded inputs.
8.3 After the cutoff for a Payroll Run, a correction is made as an adjusting entry in the next Payroll Run. Issued payroll shall not be reopened.
8.4 On separation, approved Commission Entries through the Groomer's last day worked are paid on the next regular Payroll Run, and disputed entries are held and resolved as the Groomer Offboarding and Separation Policy provides.
Article 9: Prohibited Conduct
9.1 The Groomer shall not accept payment for a booked Service outside the Platform's payment records, offer a discount in exchange for payment outside those records, or direct a Customer to pay the Groomer directly for a Service booked through the Platform. Off-book payment is a conduct violation under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy.
9.2 The Groomer shall not manipulate commission in any manner, including splitting an Appointment to change tier attainment, attributing a service line the Groomer did not perform to another Groomer or accepting attribution of a service line the Groomer did not perform, or inflating a Basis Amount. Commission manipulation is enforced under the Groomer Conduct and Enforcement Policy without a cure period.
Article 10: Liability
10.1 To the fullest extent permitted by law, neither party is liable to the other for indirect, incidental, special, punitive, or consequential damages, or for lost profits, lost revenue, or loss of goodwill, arising out of or relating to this document, even if the party has been advised of the possibility of those damages.
10.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Company's total liability arising out of or relating to this document shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amounts the Groomer paid to the Company under this document in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred dollars ($100).
10.3 This article does not limit (a) a party's indemnification obligations under this document; (b) liability for fraud or willful misconduct; (c) amounts the Groomer owes for Orders, fees, chargebacks, or refunds under this document; or (d) liability that cannot be limited under applicable law.
10.4 The parties agree that this article allocates risk between them, that it is an essential part of the basis of their bargain, and that it applies even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.
10.5 Nothing in this article limits liability for personal injury, or for injury to an animal, caused by negligence, where applicable law does not permit the limitation. Responsibility for an animal in the Groomer's care is governed by the Service Liability and Waiver Policy.
Article 11: Indemnification
11.1 The Groomer shall indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the Company and its members, managers, employees, and agents from and against every claim, demand, action, loss, liability, judgment, settlement, cost, and expense (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to: (a) the Groomer's breach of this document; (b) the Groomer's Services, listings, or User Content; (c) the Groomer's violation of any law or of the rights of any person; and (d) taxes for which the Groomer is responsible under this document.
11.2 The Company shall give prompt written notice of a claim under this article. The Groomer shall control the defense with counsel reasonably acceptable to the Company. The Company may participate in the defense at its own expense. The Groomer shall not settle a claim in a manner that imposes any obligation or restriction on the Company, or that does not release the Company fully, without the Company's prior written consent.
11.3 This article survives the termination of this document.
Article 12: Enforcement and Appeals
12.1 The Company may investigate any suspected violation of this document. The Groomer shall cooperate with an investigation and shall produce the records this document requires the Groomer to keep.
12.2 If the Company determines that the Groomer has violated this document, the Company shall give written notice stating the provision violated and the facts relied on, except where notice would compromise an investigation of fraud, a safety risk, or a legal obligation.
12.3 Where a violation is capable of cure, the Groomer has ten (10) business days from notice to cure it and to confirm the cure in writing. No cure period applies to fraud, counterfeiting, a risk to the safety of a person or an animal, unlawful conduct, or a violation that by its nature cannot be cured.
12.4 If a violation is established and is not cured within the period allowed, the Company may, proportionate to the violation: (a) issue a written warning; (b) remove or suppress a listing or content; (c) cancel an Order or a booking; (d) suspend the Account or a program participation, in whole or in part; (e) terminate this document and the Account; and (f) exercise any other right or remedy available under this document or at law. The Company may suspend the Groomer immediately, without prior notice and without a cure period, where the safety of an animal is at risk or where a qualification or certification the Groomer is required to hold has lapsed.
12.5 The Groomer may appeal a measure under this article by written notice to legal@aapawz.com within thirty (30) days of the measure, stating the grounds and attaching the records relied on. The appeal is decided by a person who did not make the original decision. The Company's decision on appeal is final. A measure remains in effect during an appeal unless the Company directs otherwise in writing.
12.6 The Company's delay in acting on a violation is not a waiver of the violation or of any later violation of the same kind.
Article 13: Term and Termination
13.1 This document takes effect when the Groomer is accepted to provide Services through the Platform and accepts this document, and continues until terminated under this article.
13.2 The Company may terminate this document and the Account on thirty (30) days' written notice for any reason, and immediately on written notice if the Groomer materially breaches this document, engages in fraud, or becomes ineligible to participate.
13.3 The Groomer may terminate this document on thirty (30) days' written notice to support@aapawz.com, provided the Groomer has no Order, booking, or investigation outstanding.
13.4 On termination: (a) the rights granted under this document end; (b) obligations that arose before termination: including payment, refund, chargeback, record-keeping, and indemnification obligations: survive until satisfied; and (c) the Company shall disburse amounts owed, less amounts the Company may set off under this document, within thirty (30) days, except amounts held in connection with an open investigation or dispute.
13.5 The Definitions, Fees (for accrued amounts), Liability, Indemnification, Enforcement and Appeals (for measures taken before termination), Dispute Resolution, and General Provisions articles survive termination.
Article 14: Dispute Resolution
14.1 Any dispute arising out of or relating to this document, or to the relationship it governs, is governed by the Dispute Resolution Policy, which is incorporated into this document by reference.
Article 15: General Provisions
15.1 The Company may amend this document by posting the amended document in the Document Center and giving notice to the Groomer at the email address in the Account. An amendment that materially increases the Groomer's fees or obligations takes effect thirty (30) days after notice; other amendments take effect on posting. Continued use of the Platform after the effective date of an amendment is acceptance of it. If the Groomer does not accept an amendment, the Groomer's remedy is to terminate under the Term and Termination article before the amendment takes effect.
15.2 Legal notices under this document shall be sent to legal@aapawz.com. Operational notices and all other communications shall be sent to support@aapawz.com. A notice to the Company is effective when the Company acknowledges receipt or, for email, one business day after sending, whichever is earlier. Notices to the Groomer are effective when sent to the email address in the Account or posted to the Account's notice facility in the portal, whichever occurs first. The Groomer shall keep the email address in the Account current. Notices under the DMCA and Copyright Policy are given as provided in that policy, to the designated agent at legal@aapawz.com.
15.3 This document is governed by the laws of the State of Tennessee, without regard to its conflict-of-laws rules. Subject to the Dispute Resolution Policy, any proceeding arising out of this document shall be brought in the state or federal courts located in Shelby County, Tennessee, and the parties consent to personal jurisdiction there.
15.4 If any provision of this document is held unenforceable, the provision shall be enforced to the fullest extent permitted, and the remaining provisions continue in full effect.
15.5 This document, together with the documents it incorporates by reference, is the entire agreement between the Company and the Groomer for the subject it governs and supersedes every prior or contemporaneous statement, communication, or agreement on that subject, whether written or oral.
15.6 The Groomer shall not assign this document or any right or obligation under it without the Company's prior written consent, and an assignment without consent is void. The Company may assign this document to an affiliate or in connection with a sale of all or part of its business, on notice to the Groomer.
15.7 A waiver of any provision of this document is effective only in writing and only for the instance stated. No waiver is a waiver of any other provision or instance.
15.8 Headings are for convenience only. "Including" means "including without limitation." This document shall not be construed against a party on the ground that the party prepared this document. The English-language text controls over any translation.
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